Ten Minute Meeting?

Graeme Souness is still in a job after a brief meeting with chairman Freddy Shepherd that lasted all of ten minutes.

Souness was driven to and from the ground by coach Dean Saunders and was with his second in command Alan Murray. Souness said their conversation had been 'upbeat'.

There was no word from the chairman or the club, although both had been insisting all day it was business as usual amid intense speculation that Souness' reign was drawing rapidly to a close.

Souness has won only 16 of the 55 Premiership matches for which he has been in charge and just eight of the last 31.

Hundreds of Toon fans staged an impromptu but lengthy protest at St James' Park after Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Blackburn.

For the time being at least, it appears the Magpies will give Souness another chance to dig himself out of trouble with Manchester City, Portsmouth, Aston Villa, Charlton and Everton standing in the way of a Premiership recovery next month.